Listen to Your Heart
by Olivia Dunham
Summary: Juliet surrenders and leaves the night before they are to leave the island. Jack leaves, but soons turns to finding the island again, with the help of Frank Lapidus and Charles Widmore. Rated for later chapters.
1. Leaving

A/N: Okay, since I am about the biggest Jacket shipper on the face of the Earth, I've decided it's about time I write a fic for them, especially after the episode "The Other Woman". I want to kill Ben! –mutters-

Disclaimer: I don't own anyone, so don't sue me.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

They were going home.

At least, everyone else was.

Not her.

Juliet sat alone on the beach as the sun began to set, the outline of the Freighter in the distance, floating in the waves. The water lapped at her feet and she sighed, running a hand through her blonde curls tiredly and stressfully. She wasn't going to get aboard that boat, because she wasn't going to be here when they took off in the helicopter.

As hard as she wanted to believe it, she knew she would never be alone. If she left the island, she knew Ben's people or Ben himself would come after her. After all, Ben had declared Juliet 'his'. She knew he would kill people for her.

He would kill Jack.

She loved Jack, and values his life higher than her own. She wasn't exactly sure how Jack had felt about her up until about four days ago, when he had kissed her and told her to let Ben come and get him. But she wasn't going to take that risk. Ben was going to win the war being waged against him, and she didn't want anyone – especially Jack – to die because of her. Goodwin and Edmund both had died because of her, but she wasn't letting Ben take the life away of the one man she truly ever loved just to get to her.

Juliet was surrendering.

She glanced toward camp, where most were packing up things and preparing for the journey tomorrow. Frank was talking with Dan and Charlotte, both who were remaining behind to study the island. Frank was going to be flying the survivors to the Freighter in groups of four or five, where they would head home once and for all, getting away from this island.

As the sun sank below the horizon, the large fire in the center of camp was lit. She saw that only about three people were gathered around it, none of which she really knew. They were the survivors that still hated her.

_But they aren't going to have to worry about me any longer_, Juliet thought to herself as she stood, brushing the sand from her pants. She headed toward her tent and disappeared inside, acting as though she was going to bed. Instead, she silently dusted the rest of the sand off her body and slipped on her shoes before tossing two water bottles in her pack. The rest of her things were already packed and waiting. If anyone came in on her at that moment, they would have just thought she was preparing for the morning.

It took her a moment to find a pen and paper, but she found them shoved in the corner of her tent and grabbed them, scribbling furiously across the page. She wasn't going to be here to say goodbye, and Juliet wasn't sure she would be able to handle it if she was. So she was leaving Jack a note.

Folding the first piece of paper up, she scribbled four words on the next, folding it up as well and addressing it to Kate. Considering her tent was next to her own, she crept out of the ten and opened the flap of Kate's tent. She was sleeping quietly, so she carefully placed the not on top of her pack by the door. Slipping back to her tent, she sighed again, pulling her hair back into a ponytail.

By the time she had gotten done, the three by the fire had disappeared inside their tents. She slung her pack over her shoulder and as quietly as possible, snuck across camp to Jack's tent. She hovered outside the entrance for a moment, debating on how to do this. She dropped her pack to the ground after another minute and lifted the flap, peering inside.

Jack was sleeping soundly, sprawled across the blankets. His stuff was packed and ready to go in a corner of his tent, and she couldn't help but smile as he suddenly let out a rather loud snore. Stifling her laughter, she slipped inside and bent down on her knees, setting the note on top of Jack's pack.

She hesitated slightly as she watched Jack sleep for a moment more. Juliet bent down and lightly kissed his lips, not wanting to awaken him. He stirred slightly, but rolled over with a crooked grin forming on his face. She smiled sadly as she crawled back outside and pulled her pack over her shoulder. She grabbed one of the torches used to see in the jungle at night, she lit it in the fire. Taking one last glance around camp, she disappeared into the shadows of the jungle, unaware of the fact that Kate was watching her from the entrance to her tent, and clutching the note she had been given.


	2. Notes

A/N: That was a bit of a prologue, but here is a longer chapter. Please review!

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jack's eyes flickered open as he rolled over. He didn't want to get up, but then he remembered they were leaving today. He smiled and sat up, pulling on his shoes and shirt before ducking out of the tent.

Camp was a flurry of activity, everyone gathering the last of his or her belongings and meeting in a central spot, a short distance away from where the helicopter was parked on the flattest bit of sand. The groups had been decided last nigh, with Frank taking Sun, Jin, Kate, Juliet, and himself last. He wanted to make sure everyone else got off the island first.

Glancing around camp, he didn't see the familiar mane of blonde hair he had been looking forward to seeing that morning. His brow furrowed and his lips curved into a frown. Surely Juliet wouldn't be sleeping in today of all days.

Halfway across camp toward her tent, he heard the helicopter start up. After a moment, the noise faded as Frank took the first group back to the Freighter. He stopped outside her tent, debating on whether or not to knock or not.

"Don't bother."

He turned to see Kate stopped a few feet away, her pack slung over her shoulder and munching on a granola bar.

"What?"

"Don't bother. She isn't there." She informed him, finishing off her breakfast and dusting her fingers of crumbs.

"Then you know where she is?"

"Nope. She headed into the jungle last night with her pack. I haven't seen her since." Kate said, in a noticeably cold tone. She had been coming out of the station when she had seen Jack with Juliet, and she was still angry.

"And you didn't wake me up and tell me?" He asked, angered.

"I thought you knew. Besides, I figured she was just going for a walk. She came out of your tent before she disappeared."

Jack brushed past Kate, becoming more confused and worried than angry at the moment. He headed back inside his tent and pondered what she would be doing in his tent. Then he remembered last night, and the dream he had had.

Jack had been standing on the deck of the Freighter, watching the sunset. He could see Los Angeles in the distance. Juliet had appeared from nowhere to stand beside him, not speaking. She had instead turned and kissed him, and it had felt so real to Jack that he thought for a moment it was real and he wasn't dreaming. Then he had woke up this morning.

His eyes scanned the tent, for any sign other than the dream that she had been there. His eyes found the folded piece of paper on top of his pack and he grabbed it, unfolding it and scanning the writing:

_Jack,_

_I'm already gone if you're reading this, but don't have a fit._

_I'm really sorry about this, but if I didn't do it now then you never would let me leave. And I wouldn't be able to say goodbye to your face._

_I guess you're wondering why I left, but I have to protect you from Ben. I know you think you are invincible and can take anything, but I can't. If you were hurt or killed, I would never forgive myself because it would be all my fault for getting involved with you in the first place._

_Let me be the hero this time, while you get the others off the island. Forget about me._

_If you love me Jack, you won't come after me._

_I love you._

_Juliet_

He stepped out of his tent, still clutching the note. Kate was speaking with Sun, but she glanced over and caught his angry look. She looked at him a moment, but turned back to her conversation.

Jack was currently having a war being waged within his mind and body. Half of him wanted to forget about leaving and run off in search of Juliet in the jungle, find her, and they could live on the island happily ever after like Tarzan and Jane. The other half wanted to do as she had asked and get on that helicopter like she wanted him to, leave, and forget about her even though he was pretty sure he never would forget Juliet.

Still stuck between a rock and a hard place, he paced in front of his tent for a moment as Frank returned with the helicopter to get the next bunch. It was the second group, right before Jack and his group was to be taken off the island. He was going to have to make a decision.

Approaching Kate, he nodded to Sun and Jin in hello before tugging Kate away from the group.

"What did she say to you?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Juliet! She had to have told you where she went."

"No, she left me this." Kate muttered, pulling the folded note from her back pocket and handing it to Jack. He unfolded it and read the words carefully.

_Take care of him._

His heart and stomach both gave a lurch at the same time, making him nearly stumble. He blindly handed Kate back the note, who ripped it into shreds and tossed it into the sands without a thought. He stepped away from Kate, running a hand over his face and through his hair.

Apparently Juliet was going to a bit of trouble to make sure he left the island. He sighed as the war inside of him finally subsided.

He had come to a decision.

Walking slowly back to his tent, he ignored everything around him, including the approaching helicopter. Grabbing his pack and slinging it over his shoulder, he stepped back outside and stared at the trees.

As much as his brain and heart screamed for him to go the opposite way, Jack turned away from the trees to join Kate, Sun, and Jin as the copter landed. He took one last look at the jungle and the trees as he climbed in, whispering three words.

"I love you."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Muttering several choice swears under her breath, Juliet ignored the fresh cut along her arm where she had run into a sharp branch. She was almost to the Barracks anyway. Using her uncut forearm to wipe the sweat from her brow, she took a large gulp of water and stepped through the bushes, brushing several tree branches out of her face. She sighed slightly in relief as she saw the familiar yellow houses in the clearing ahead.

Her stomach lurched as she thought of what and who awaited her. She didn't want to do this, but she wasn't about to let Ben kill the man she loved. She forced herself to believe she was doing the right thing, when really all she wanted to do was turn, run back to the beach, and stay far away from this place as possible. She would have rather been eaten by the smoke monster than what she was doing right now. Or maybe a polar bear, if she was lucky.

Juliet took a single step forward, but she froze as the barrel of a gun suddenly pressed to the back of her head and a voice hissed behind her.

"Don't move."


	3. Widmore

A/N: Here's the next chapter! Thanks for your reviews!

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Juliet winced slightly as the voice sounded from just behind her. She heard the crunching of leaves and soon, the figure of a dark haired woman came into view in the corner of her eye. 

Danielle.

Mentally kicking herself for forgetting that the French woman would probably be guarding the camp, she turned to face the woman, the gun barrel now pointing at her forehead. Danielle reached forward and grabbed the gun at Juliet's waist. She slid it onto her own belt before looking back at Juliet, her eyes blazing.

"I need to talk to Locke." She stated, blinking at Danielle, unafraid. She was used to having a gun being pointed in her face by now, almost as much as having her shoulder dislocated. 

Danielle said nothing, but took Juliet's arm, pulling her forward while keeping the gun trained on her head. She led the blonde behind several houses, away from the eyes of the survivors that had gone with Locke. Juliet already knew the path they were taking, and couldn't help but let out a sigh. 

As Juliet had predicted, Danielle stopped outside the rec room and opened the door, pushing Juliet inside. There was a jingling of keys before the resounding click that signaled she was stuck in here for the time being. 

_I'm beginning to think I would be better off with Jack…_ She thought to herself out of spite, taking a seat in one of the foldable metal chairs near the pool table. She grabbed a que ball and tossed it in her hand for a moment, seriously considering throwing it at the window and shattering it. But she knew it wouldn't do any good since the windows had mesh wiring on the other side that was nearly impossible to get through, and if she wanted her plan to work, she was pretty sure Locke wouldn't like a smashed window to put a damper on his mood when – if – she got the chance to talk to him.

Sighing, she hoped Jack was safely on the Freighter by now.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Jack, if you don't cool it then I'm going to have to give you bloody tranquilizers." The red head hissed as she cleaned her gun, watching the good doctor pace the top deck of the Freighter. Charlotte, Miles, and Daniel had been assigned to watch the survivors until actual room were ready for them. Daniel was more absorbed in his book, so it was really only Charlotte and Daniel.

"I can't believe I just left like that!" he suddenly exclaimed, whirling around to face Charlotte. She didn't even glance up from cleaning her gun.

"Shephard, shut it. None of your other little buddies are muttering incoherently to themselves, so stop before I call the doc to lock you in the sick bay." Miles growled, glaring at him. Jack sighed and sat down a few feet away from Rose and Kate, where they were talking quietly near the railing of the Freighter. Standing after a moment, he went to the railing.

_What the hell was I thinking? I should have never left her on that damn island!_ He shouted at himself inside his head, staring at the deep blue waves below. They reminded him slightly of Juliet's eyes, but Juliet's was much more beautiful. He rested his face in his hands.

Feeling a light hand on his shoulder, he didn't need to look up to see who it was. 

"Jack, you should be happy. We're finally away from the island and we're going home." Kate said quietly, leaning against the railing next to him and watching him. He didn't spare her a glance.

"I can't be happy Kate. Not when Juliet's stuck on that island. I promised to get _everyone_ off that island, and I never break promises."

"You can't save everyone Jack." Kate said in the same soft tone. "Besides, it was her choice to stay behind." 

"She stayed behind because of me. And I don't think you understand exactly how that feels." He said.

"What feels?" 

"Having someone leave you like that, without saying goodbye." Jack muttered, hesitating slightly before continuing. "Without telling them that you love them."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Charles threw the pen across the room, furious at it because it had suddenly stopped writing. Grabbing another one from the jar, he turned back to his paper and signed the bottom as instructed. He hated the day after Christmas, because he always had more work than usual.

"Mr. Widmore, your daughter is here to see you." His secretary said over the small intercom.

"Send her in."

Two seconds later, Penny Widmore came in the door, dressed lovely in a pale yellow sundress to go with the weather outside. He smiled at her like any loving father would.

"Hello Penelope." He greeted and she rolled her eyes.

"When are you ever going to call me Penny?" She said with a sigh, approaching his desk to give him a light hug. When it came to Charles and his daughter, he had a slight soft spot for her. She was his only child, and his baby girl. 

"What are you doing here Penny?" He questioned as she leaned against the corner of his desk.

"Can't a daughter come see her father?" She asked and he raised an eyebrow at her. She sighed. "Guess who I received a phone call from two nights ago?" 

"Surprise me."

"Desmond." She stated slowly, watching his eyebrows raise further up his forehead.

"That drunken Scottish you call a boyfriend? He's supposed to be dead." He muttered, but Penny shook her head.

"No, he called me and told me they were aboard a Freighter of some sort." Penny said, brushing several locks of hair from her face. "But what I thought was weird is the fact that about two weeks ago, I got a call from someone named Charlie who said he knew Desmond. He asked me if it was my Freighter, and if I knew a Naomi." She continued. Charles had turned to face out his window so she would see the mixed look of greed and confusion on his face. "Do you know anything about it?"

"Not a thing darling." He replied quickly, lying through his teeth. In fact, he had hired Naomi himself, as well as that nut of a physics professor Faraday, the anthropologist Lewis, the medium Straume, and the rest of the ones aboard the Freighter. This meant that they had found the island, which made Charles Widmore a very happy man indeed.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A/N: This chapter is so short it's horrible! I intended to make it longer, but I changed my mind.


	4. Conversations

A/N: Sorry it took me do long to update the story

A/N: Sorry it took me do long to update the story! I've been really busy!

Disclaimer: I don't own anyone.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jack made a face as several cameras flashed in front of his face and microphones were shoved toward him as he and the rest of the survivors were getting off the Freighter. He dodged several, too pissed at himself and at Ben to say anything else. There were cars waiting for him and the others, waiting to take them to a hotel where they would stay the night before a press conference where they would be presented with checks and golden passes from Oceanic Airlines before they were allowed to go home.

"Dr. Shephard, how does it feel to be home?"

"Do you have any plans on suing Oceanic Airlines?"

"Where exactly have you been all this time Jack?"

Ignoring them, he climbed into the backseat of one of the cars with Rose and Kate. Jack rested his head on the tinted window pain as the driver started up the car. The sun was already below the horizon, only a thin yellow line that faded out of site as they drove past houses and buildings, which began to grown into skyscrapers and businesses as they grew closer to the main city of Los Angeles.

"You okay Jack?" Rose asked him, looking at him. He sighed and shook his head. She gently reached over and patted his shoulder. "She'll be fine. She's lived on the island before."

Jack tried to give her a smile, but it faltered and he turned back to the window, ignoring Kate's glare. She was leaned against the window like he was, looking irritated.

They arrived at the hotel and were quickly led to rooms to avoid the press. The hotel was nice, one of the fancy ones only the rich could afford.

Jack sighed with relief when he spotted the real bed. But the first thing he did was strip down and leap into the shower, rinsing off with soap several times to get the dirt encrusted on his skin and body. Pulling the provided soft fuzzy robe on, he stepped back into the room and out onto the balcony. He was on the second to top floor, so the view was rather amazing, showing the entire city.

Lights shone at him from every direction, but none were as bright as Juliet's eyes or smile. She would put the brightest star to shame, at least for him. He loved her, he knew it, and had wanted to tell her since he had first layed eyes on her. Now he would probably never get the chance to tell her.

His fists clenched around the railing tightly as he promised himself one thing. He was going to find Juliet, no matter what it took.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Juliet's eyes flickered open as she heard the key being pushed into the lock of the door. She sat up quickly from where she had slept restlessly on the concrete floor. Rubbing sleep from her eyes and brushing hair from her face, she looked up just in time to see Locke shutting the door behind him. He carried a tray, which he set on the table.

"Hello Juliet." He greeted. "I brought you breakfast."

Juliet looked at the tray where various slices or fruit were layed out in a colorful arrangement next to a glass of orange juice. She couldn't help but smirk. It seemed ironic that she was being held prisoner in her former home – well, the rec room near her former home.

"Thank you." She replied quietly, slowly taking a piece of fruit and popping it in her mouth slowly. It wasn't that she didn't trust John, it was because she had heard things about him that she didn't particularly like.

"Rousseau informed me you wanted to talk to me?" He said, leaning back in the foldable metal chair comfortably. Juliet had pulled herself into another chair as she ate on the food, wanting to savor its taste.

"Yes." She said, hesitating slightly before speaking again. "Jack and the rest of the people on the beach are gone. They left on the Freighter." She continued. Locke nodded.

"I knew they would be soon. They don't seem to understand the magic about this island. They're afraid of it." He said. "But what I'm wondering is why you aren't with them."

"Because it wasn't my place…." She said, not wanting to reveal to this man about why she had really left. "You haven't killed Ben yet have you?"

"No."

"Then you need to bring him to me. We need to have a little chat. Alone." She stated, her face remaining expressionless.

"I can't do that Juliet."

"Then take me to him."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A/N: It's short, I know, but I'm really tired and I wanted to get this little bit up.


	5. Penny

A/N: Okay, so I've finally gotten my lazy butt up and updated

A/N: Okay, so I've finally gotten my lazy butt up and updated! I lost my muse, but I got a new one in the form of a giant polar bear. It's attacking me and forcing an update out of me. Enjoy! Oh, and be warned, there is two character deaths in this, so please don't flame me for it!

Disclaimer: I don't own anyone!

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Juliet stared at the opposite wall as Ben was allowed into the rec room. She heard the resounding click that meant that they were locked in the room for the time being and she sighed.

"Juliet. What a surprise." Ben said, not surprised at all. He sat in a chair across from her and she still didn't look at him. "You wanted to talk to me."

"You win." She whispered after a moment.

"Excuse me?"

She looked at him, her gaze intense as her blue eyes glittered with tears she forced back. She had promised herself she wasn't going to cry. She was going to be strong, if not for herself, then for Jack.

"I'm not going to fight you anymore Ben."

"So the guilt had finally sunk in. You feel guilty for getting Edmund and Goodwin killed. Lucky for you Jack got off the island before I could get to him." Ben stated. "I know you slept with him and in about a day, he would be dead. Congratulations, you managed to prevent another death."

Juliet stared at him, furious.

"Please, continue what you were saying." He said, giving her a smirk. She growled.

"I'm not going to fight you because I wanted Jack to live. He's the only man I've ever loved the way I do, and I'll never love anyone more than what I love him." She said fiercely, trying to fight the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes. "I hate you Benjamin Linus, but I'm telling you that you win. No one will ever be killed again because of me."

"I see you've learned Juliet. That's good." He stated and her hand came around, making to smack him, but he grabbed it before it reached him. "Or maybe not."

She wriggled her wrist free from his grasp, narrowing her eyes at him.

"Why don't you just kill me now and get it over with?" She asked coldly and he smirked, brushing a lock of her hair from her face. She jerked her head away and he chuckled.

"Why destroy such a pretty face?" He asked as she turned her face away from him. She wasn't going to let this man see her cry. He never had and never would. "Now, if you mean what you say, I can arrange for you to be out of this rec room and sleeping in a real bed." He said. "Do you mean what you say Juliet?"

Hesitating for a moment, she slowly nodded, tears rolling down her cheeks.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jack stopped for a moment, debating on whether or not he should do this. Staring up at the office building, he knew this was the place to start. This was the office of Charles Widmore, father of Penelope Widmore. Desmond had mentioned her and her father, and Jack knew Penelope might be the one to help him. Especially she wanted someone still on the island as well.

Taking a single step forward, a young woman stepped out the door and, not paying attention, ran headlong into him, nearly knocking him down. She fell to the ground, her files going everywhere.

"Oh, I'm sorry." She muttered, gathering up her files. Jack quickly bent down to help her. "I'm so busy I wasn't paying attention to where I was going."

"It's alright." He muttered as their gazes met. She seemed to freeze in place.

"You're Jack Shephard aren't you? The doctor that was rescued from Flight 815?" She asked and Jack sighed, nodding. "I'm Penny."

"Well, erm, nice to meet you Penny." Jack mumbled. "I'm actually looking for someone. Penelope Widmore?"

"That would be me." She smiled, brushing hair from her face as she stood. Jack handed her the files she had dropped. "Thanks. What were you looking for me for?"

"I don't think this is a discussion for exactly this moment, but maybe if we could meet -."

"I'm heading for lunch now at a restaurant just a few blocks down. You could join me if you'd like and we could talk there. My treat." She stated with another smile. Jack chuckled.

"I suppose that will work."

"Great. Just let me toss these files in my car and we can walk."

She went to the curb near a rather fancy sports car and opened the door, tossing the files into the passenger's seat before shutting the door and locking the car with the press of a button on her key chain. She gave Jack another smile before they headed down the road.

Once they were settled at their table at the restaurant and had ordered, Penny looked at him expectantly.

"Talk away Dr. Shephard." She stated.

"Call me Jack."

"Only if you call me Penny."

"Alright, Penny, I came to talk to you about the island." He said slowly. She frowned. "I know you're looking for it. Desmond told me."

At the mention of her boyfriend's name, she froze. Penny had known he wasn't on the Freighter, and had known he hadn't come back. He was still on the island, and she was still looking for it. In fact, the files she had dropped had to do with her research about it. Her father hadn't wanted to say a word about it, but she was smart. She knew he had to have something to do with it. Otherwise, that boy – Charlie – wouldn't have known her, or Jack wouldn't have known how to find her.

"Desmond's alive, isn't he?"

"Yes, as far as I know. He wanted to stay on the island to figure out a few things. He knew I would be back, eventually, to get those that didn't go with us the first time." Jack stated. Penny didn't say anything as she sipped at a cherry coke.

Soon after, their food arrived and she still remained silent as they ate, and didn't speak again until the waiter brought the bill. Jack reached for it, but Penny snatched it before he could react.

"What do you need me for Jack?" She asked after a moment, pulling out a credit card and placing it on the edge of the table for the waiter to come by and pick up.

"I'm looking for someone back on the island, and I can't find it by myself. If we helped each other, we could find it faster and get back the ones we love." He said quietly. She looked at him, an eyebrow slightly raised as the waiter brought her credit card back. She stowed it away in her purse and pulled out a piece of paper and a pen. Scribbling down something, she handed the paper to Jack.

"This is my phone number, cell number, and my address. You'll usually reach me at one of the three." She stated. "I want you to make sure this is something you want to do Jack. I've wasted a lot of my life and other peoples looking for this island. It's practically consumed my thoughts. I don't want your answer now, but contact me in a few days after you've had time to think about it. And I mean honestly think about it. You're a successful surgeon, and this task can cost you your job, your family, everything." She said quietly as she stood, looping her purse around her shoulder. "I've got to head to a meeting at the moment. It's was nice meeting you Jack, and I hope to chat again soon." She told him with a smile before heading for the exit. After a beat, Jack followed.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"I'm going to shove a pen up your damn nose in a moment if you don't bloody shut that hole on your face!"

"Coming from you Charlotte, that's nothing new." Miles stated, folding his arms across his chest. Charlotte rolled her eyes and resorted to throwing him nasty looks over her shoulder. She, Miles, Frank, and Daniel were seated in a small limo, carrying them to god knew where.

As it slowed and it got out, Charlotte frowned. They were in what looked to be a rather wide, deserted alleyway between two warehouses. The scent of saltwater stung her nose, meaning they were somewhere near the Pacific Ocean, where it met the west side of the city of Los Angeles.

"You're late."

They turned to see Charles Widmore standing a few feet away, almost invisible in the shadows of a building. He stepped forward. None of them said a word.

"I have another job for you four and a new team member who'll be joining you."

"What is it this time?" Frank asked as Charlotte bit back a remark. She knew better than to smart off to someone like Widmore.

"You remember Dr. Shephard, don't you?" He asked. Not waiting for a response, he continued. "He's trying to find the island again. The sources I have at certain locations informed me that he met with my daughter about finding the island. I've taken care of her for the moment, but I want you to keep an eye on Shephard. At least, two of you will be keeping an eye on him." He stated.

"What about the other two?" Charlotte asked, almost regretting opening her mouth. Widmore's mouth twisted into a slightly demonic smirk. He nodded once to someone not visible behind them and two gunshots rang out.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A/N: I'm sorry, I had to leave it as a cliffy. I'm not telling who died just yet!


End file.
